Football: Thumbs up for VARs in Fifa World Cup but Hawke's Bay four says it'll take time to work

Hawke's Bay United coach Brett Angell says consistency is vital when using VARs. Photo/file

Movers and shakers in Hawke's Bay believe the use of video assistant referees at the Fifa World Cup in Russia isn't foolproof but it's a switch in the right direction to clean up the beautiful game.

In some respects, they feel the water may become murkier, as it has in international rugby, before clarity surfaces from a code whose most intense scrutiny comes on the world's biggest teams' sport stage in a four-year cycle.

The overwhelming view appears to be that technology is there for the good of the game and it'll take some time bedding it in so that not just players but fans become accustomed to delayed decisions and ensuing controversies.

The human element of everything eventually coming down to officials' interpretation also is a given, no matter how many camera angles at their disposal.

Notably the VARs should have been employed and enforced at the elite leagues (EPL, La Liga, Bundesliga etc) well before the world cup.

Thirsty Whale Hawke's Bay United coach Brett Angell said it reflected the way the game was evolving globally and the tactical organisation of set-piece plays which demanded quality in the first round so far.

"The holding of players has now become a lot more sort of in your face than it ever has evolved into the game," said Angell, suspecting officials were beginning to police, albeit not necessarily through VARs.

The former EPL striker, whose heart is behind England coming out of their pool but believes a youthful France or Japan have the potential to become champions, said encouraging defenders to "touch toes" with foragers to stifle them was now beginning to look like a "wrestling match".

"Maybe what was accepted is now no longer accepted by the rules of the game."

Angell said what stuck out was the inconsistency in ruling consistently via the VARs, in the England-Tunisia game, for example.

"The more the VAR system is used the more accomplished it'll become," he said. "We've had those situations in rugby. When it was first introduced I'm sure they had some grey areas."

Iona College first XI coach Gail Hall (right) says VARs must reach the right verdict smartly. Photo/file

Former player Gail Hall, who has been coaching at Iona College, said it was imperative VARs reached verdicts smartly and not drag it out.

Hall said it should keep players honest although in its introduction at the cup they seemed undaunted.

"It should stop a lot of diving and if they make contact then you can see if they have," said the 51-year-old administrator of a trucking firm in Hastings.

VARs, she said, should be employed to a fuller extent rather than stopped at simply verifying indiscretions.

"They seem more focused on stopping people play with highly coloured shin guards than enforcing the rules of the games sometimes."

Simulating, for argument's sake, should see yellow cards emerge from pockets if players claiming foul weren't truthful.

"It's not clear in the game, to be manhandled as much as they are, where they should be warned then enforce the law with a yellow card if they consistently infringe," Hall said, revealing shirt pulling disgusted her, too.

She hoped teams like Iceland would break out of their pool well to put the big dogs in their place.

Rovers coach Bill Robertson says it's more an issue of when to use the VARs rather then just using it correctly. Photo/file

Thirsty Whale Napier City Rovers player/coach Bill Robertson said he had watched only a few games but VARs were used sparingly although the absence of checks on England captain Harry Kane was hard to go past.

"Obviously the issue is when it's used the decision is correct but it's more an issue of when to decide to have it used, I guess," Robertson said.

The Bay United captain said a clearer process was required to establish an uncluttered pathway to seeking redress from the VARs.

"Eventually if you get the process right you'll get better because you'll have the benefit of replayed slowed down for different angles."

Robertson said he didn't encourage that with the Blues at Park Island but it was down to the refs' interpretation and the VARs were pivotal.

He hoped officials wouldn't apply preferential treatment to "elite nations", akin to allegations in international rugby, because consistency is the name of the game.

"There has been a lot of shirt holding and grabbing right now which have never been in the rules."

Havelock North Wanderers coach Chris Greatholder says teams should only be allocated a certain number of referrals to VARs. Photo/Paul Taylor

Building King Havelock North Wanderers player/coach Chris Greatholder found it disconcerting that 63 per cent of goals came from set-piece plays (free kicks, corners).

"The attacking nature of the world cup has surprised me because I thought they might be a bit more cautious but the VAR has disappointed me as well," said Greatholder, echoing disbelief on the Kane rugby tackles that should have been penalties.

He felt, akin to cricket, teams should be allocated a certain number of referrals only before losing the right of appeal.

"Where do the boundaries stop?" he asked but was happy that VARs had come to fruition after five years of persistence.

Greatholder said the penalty awarded to Egypt's Mohamed Salah, which was apparently outside the box, was perhaps too subjective for him.

"A lot of it comes down to one guy making the decision."

He alluded to rugby where refs often asked the TMO: "Give me a reason not to award a try or give me a reason why I should award a try?"

Greatholder said if you could not prove what was there it boiled down to what questions the whistle blowers were asking.

"It doesn't make it any fairer, really, but just a reason for the ref to go upstairs to see whether it's a late tackle or a pushing down at the corner so I don't know where you draw the line."

He felt the champions always flirt with boundaries and often got away with things, as was obvious in Real Madrid captain Sergio Ramos yanking Salah to the ground in the Champions League final.

"That's the same for cheats and divers now — it's not great because some people will do whatever they can and it doesn't make the officials' job any easier."